Bottle-washing machine



J an. 9, 1923. 1,441,290.

E. F. MANGOLD.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE. FILED MAY 9. 1921.

2' SHEETSQSHEET 4A; ATTORNEY 7 Jan. 9, l923.

' 1,441,290. E. F. MANGOLD.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE. FILED MAY 9. 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 34 Arm/m Patented darin 1923.

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ELI FRANK MANGOLD, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed May 9, 1921. Serial No. 467,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI FRANK MANooLD,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of. Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and .State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottleashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for cleansing and sterilizing bottles, and more particularly, though not necessarily, milk bottles. The apparatus is simple in construction, and is adapted to cleanse and sterilize the bottles in a thorough and labor-saving manner. The apparatus embodies means for first subjecting the bottle to a nozzle stream of an alkali solution to cut the dirt from it; then subjecting said bottle to a nozzle stream of pasteurized or sterile water to thoroughly rinse it; and finally directing into it a jet of live steam as an active sterilizing agent.

My apparatus embodies means for revolving the inverted bottles in a horizontal plane over the different fluid streams, and for automatically holding a bottle over each stream sufficiently long to permit it to be adequately cleansed, rinsed and sterilized. After a bottle has been thoroughly subjected to one stream, it is automatically carried to the next, and so on, until it has been completely cleansed.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specifi cation, and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 a. side elevatioual view of my improved bottie-cleansing and sterilizing apparatus, partly in section. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same. Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the apparatus. And Figure 4c is a detail plan view of the bottle-carrier turning means.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters denote cor responding parts.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a metal tank divided at itsmid dle portion by a partition 2 into two compartments 3 and 4. This tank is mounted upon pedestal feet 0 which raise it a substantial distance above the floor.

of which is constructed as follows.

Mounted upon the tank 1, which is open at the top, is the lower section 6 of a bottle: carrier housing, which supports an upper or hood section 7. (See Figure 1.) Projecting upwardly through the base 8 of the lower section 6 of the bottle-carrier housing, is a stationary shaft 9 to which the partition 2 issecured by bolts 10, 10. This shaft 9 projects upwardly through a hole in the middle portion of the top 11 of the hood section 7 of said housing, terminating in a reduced portion 12. At the base of the latter is a shoulder which supports a bearing collar 13 upon which rests a ball bearing 14. A notched disc plate 15 is adapted to turn upon this hearing.

Depending from the notched plate 15 is a sleeve 16 that projects well intothe hood section 7 of the carrier housing, for a rotatory movement around the stationary shaft 9. This sleeve has a flanged base portion 17 to the under surface of which is secured by bolts 18, radial arms 19 whichsupportan inner ring 20 and an outer'rim 21. (See Figures 1 and 2.) i

Radially supported upon the-ring 20 and i i rim 21,'is a series of bottle holders-22, each ring to Figures 1 and 2, each bottle holder Refer- 22 comprises a metallic frame having a front and rear bottle-neck receiving ring 23 and 243 respectively, that are joined together by a pair of straight links 25, 25. A forward projection 26 on the ring 23 isadapted to rest upon the ring 20 to support the front portion of the bottle holder, while two oppositely-inclined projections 2'7, 27 on the ring 24, rest upon the rim 21 to support the rear portion of said bottle holder. These holders 22 are thus constructed in a sanitary manner to conveniently receive, and firmly hold, the bottles for presentation in an inverted position to the cleansing and sterilizing means hereinafter to be described.

Securely mounted in the inner section 6 of the bottle-carrier housing, above the com each pair of holes 29, 29 to receive therethrough a stream of an alkaline solution such as soda ash for the purpose of cutting the dirt from them. A centrifugal pump 31 forces this solution, under pressure into the conduit 28 through a pipe 32. The bottles 30, 36 are not only subjected to the upward force of the alkaline solution but to the descending force of that which strikes the top of the hood section 7. The solution falls into the trougheshaped bottom 8 of the inner housing section 6, when it descends through an outlet 33 into the compartment 4 of the tank 1, from which flows through a pipe 34 to the pump 31. (See Figures 1 and Also mounted in the inner section 6 of the bottle-carrier housing, above the compartment 3 of the tank 1. is a segmental conduit 35 which is preferably rectangular in cross section. (See Figures 1 and 2.) Circumferentially arranged in radial rows in the top of said conduit, are fluid outlet holes 36. This segmental conduit is so disposed that when the bottle carrier is rotated above it, the bottles 30, carried by each holder 22 may be successively brought directly over each pair of holes 29. 29 to receive therethrough a stream of pasteurized or sterile water for the purpose of thoroughly rinsing them. A centrifugal pump 37 forces this water into the conduit through a pipe 38. The bottles 30, 30 are not only sub jected to the upward force of this sterile water, but to the descending force of that which strikes the top of the hood section 7. The water falls into the trough-shaped bottom 8 of the inner housing section 6, whence it descends through an outlet 39 into the compartment 3 of the tank 1, from which it flows through a pipe 40t0 the pump 37. (See Figures 1 and 2.)

The centrifugal pumps 31 and, 37 are driven by a horizontal driving shaft 41 on which is fast a central driving pulley 42 adapted to be rotated by a belt connected with a suitable source of power (not shown).

The means for rotating the bottle-carrier mechanisn'i will now be described. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 43 designates a gear casing having a forwardly projecting portion 44 whose front end is concaved to it the top part of the reduced portion 12 of the stationary shaft 9. A clamping block 45, also having a concaved end adapted to lit the reduced portion 12 of said shaft 9, is secured to the projection 44 on the casing 43, by bolts 46. 46 to firmly secure the said casing to the reduced portion 12 of said shaft. The inner end of the cover plate 47 of the casing 43 projects a short distance over the top of the stationary shaft 9, to form an additional support for said casing.

Journaled in the middle portion of the casing 47 is a shaft 48 on which a horizontally disposed gear 49 is fast. Meshing with this gear 49 for the purpose of rotating it, is a worm 50 on a shaft 51 journaled at its outer end in a bearing 52 on a bracket 53 mounted upon a ledge portion 54 of the tank 1. The inner end of said shaft 51 is journaled in a tubular portion 55 of the casing 43. Fast on the outer reduced end of the shaft 51 is a pulley 56 which is rotated by a belt 57 that passes around a pulley 58 that is secured to the drive shaft 41. (See Figures 1. 2 and 4.)

Referring to Figures 3 and 4. there is fast on the shaft 48 an eccentric 59 having a downwardly projecting pin 60 adapted to enter any one of the notches 61 in the plate 15 to turn the latter when the shaft 48 is rotated by the gear 49. Pivotally secured-to a pin 62 projecting downwardly from the bottom of the casing 43, is the rear end of a rocking plate or lever 63. Provided on one free end of the latter is a beveled locking piece 64 adapted to be projected between the beveled crown portions of any two adjacent teeth 65, 65 by a spring 66 secured. upon supporting piece 67, to hold the plate 15 in a stationary position.

When the eccentric am 60 starts to enter a notch 61 in the plate 15, it will engage the adjacent free end of the rocking plate 63 to cause its other end to withdraw the locking piece 64 from between the teeth 65, 65. The notched plate 15 is now free to be rotated by the eccentric pin 60 a distance equal to one third of the travel of said pin when it is not in engagement with said teeth. The pin 60 will rotate the notched plate 15 far enough to turn the sleeve 16 that depends fron'i it a suflicient distance to cause the arms 19 attached to the latter, to carry the inverted bottles. from one set of holes in the segmental conduits to the next set. In other words, each pair of bottles will be transferred from a position over one row of said holes, to a position directly over the next set of holes. Since theeccentric pin 60 travels a greater distance out ei'igagcwent with the teeth 65 of the plate 'l5fthan when in engagement with said teeth, the bottles will be held over the holes in the segmental conduits long enough to be thoroughly cleansed and rinsed. It is thus seen that my eccentric mechanism just described will intermittently turn the notched plate 15 to periodically transfer the bottles in each holder 22 from one row of holes in the segmental conduits to the next row of holes. After a pair of bottles 30, 30 leaves a position over the last row of holes 36 in the segmental conduit, they are next brought to' a position over a pair of jet holes 68, 68 in a steam nozzle 69 that projects into the inner section 6 of the bottle-carrier housing. The live steam that issues from. the jet holes 68. 68 thoroughly sterilizes the bottles prepara tory to their being removed from the holders 22 through the sector-shaped opening in the top 11 of the hood section 7 of the carrier housing. (See Figure 2.)

In operation, after the pumps 31 and 37 and the carrier mechanism have been started, bottles in their inverted positions are inserted in the ring portions of the holders 22 as they pass the sector-shaped opening in the top of the hood 7. These bottles are first intermittently moved over the holes 29 in the segmental conduit 28, where they are subj ected to the streams of the alkaline solution delivered, under pressure, by the pipe 31 to said conduit. Step by step the bottles are carried to, and over, the holes 36 in the segmental conduit 35, from which issue streams of pasteurized or sterile water to thoroughly rinse the bottles. These bottles are then brought to a position over the jet holes 68, 68 in the nozzle 69 for subjection to live steam which thoroughly sterilizes them. After being sterilized, the bottles may be readily withdrawn from the holders 22 through the sector-shaped opening in the hood section 7 of the carrier housing. It is thus seen, that during their travel around this housing, the bottles are thoroughly cleansed, rinsed and sterilized, preparatory to their being filled with the liquid they are adapted to contain.

Mounted on the bottom 8 of the inner section 6 0f the bottle carrier housing, near the shaft 9, is a partition 70, to prevent the fluid projected upwardly from one segmental eoncluit flowing into the compartment of the tank 1 below the other conduit. The condensed steam descends, with the sterile containing holes through which differentfluids are forced into the bottles on said carrier, a device for :uitomatically turning said carrier, step by step, to bringthe bottles successively over said holes, and a rocking lever controlled by said device for holding said bottles in a stationary position for a predetermined length of time after each turning movement of the carrier.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination with a rotatable bottle carrier, of a fluid conduit disposed below said carrier, containing holes through which a fluid is forced into the bottles on the latter, a locking lever, one end of which is adapted to engage the bottle carrier to prevent it from turning, and cam means adapted to engage the other end of said lever to withdraw its locking end from engagement with the bottle carrier and to turn the latter after said locking lever is disengaged therefrom.

. 3. In a device of the typev described, the combination with a rotatable carrier for botties, of a fluid conduit disposed below said carrier, containing holes through which a fluid is forced into the bottles on said carrier, a notched disc from which said carrier depends, a rocking plate adjacent said disc, a locking element on one free end of said plate adapted to engage the notched disc to prevent it from turning, a driving shaft adjacent said disc and'rocking plate, and a cam on said shaft adapted to engage the notched disc and the adjacent free end of the locking plate, to withdraw the other end of the plate from engagement with the notched disc and thereafter to turn the latter for the purpose of rotating the bottle carrier.

4:. In adevice of the type described, the combination with a tank, of a stationary shaft projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tank, a sleeve rotatable around the upper end of said shaft, a bottle carrier secured to the lower end of said sleeve, means for projecting a fluid into the bottles on said carrier, to cleanse them, a turning disc from which said sleeve depends, mounted on the upper end of said shaft. and means for intermittently turning said disc to rotate the sleeve and carrier for the purpose of bringing the bottles on the latter successively over the fluid projecting means.

5. In a device of the type described, the combination with a tank,of a carrier housing mounted thereon, a stationary shaft projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tank through said carrier housing, a notched turning disc mounted on the upper end of said stationary shaft, means supported by the upper end of the shaft for intermittently rotating said disc. a sleeve projecting downwardly from said disc, around said shaft, a

bottle-carrier secured to said sleeve within the carrier housing, for a rotatory movement about the stationary shaft, and fluid projecting means mounted in said housing below the bottle carrier, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of April, 1921.

ELI FRANK MANGOLD. 

